To establish, from the perspective of target communities for microcredit initiatives in Glasgow, if an association exists between the use of financial services, particularly fair-price microcredit, and health and wellbeing, and the mechanisms through which any perceived association might operate.

In particular, the research questions we seek to answer are:

1. How do low-income individuals manage their financial portfolios?

How might the availability of low-cost microcredit impact on such financial management?

2. Do low-income individuals perceive a relationship exists between income based initiatives and health and wellbeing?

If so, what ‘mechanisms of action’ for microcredit to impact on health might be implied from this?

What are the subjective views of low-income individuals and expert stakeholders on the role of different types of fair credit and advice services in enhancing health and wellbeing, relative to other types of public health initiatives?

The Scottish Government Health Directorates Chief Scientist Office has published a summary fo the research as part of their Focus On Research series, see link.